NAACP of Leflore County

Leflore County was where early local civil rights efforts met the national movement. This collision caused conflict early in the Civil Rights Movement. Payne describes how in the 1950’s, efforts by the black community to start a local chapter of the NAACP failed several times. The local chapter was originally formed in 1952 but went through a period of inactivity before being reformed in both 1956 and 1958. While those within other local civic and church organizations began to meld their ideas and objectives with those of national organizations, it seems the labeling of a group as “the NAACP”invited negative attention – a backlash – from the white community, and was therefore abandoned, or would at least weaken in strength and numbers to be ineffective.